Tag: disciple

August Books – Packets of Wisdom!

I enjoy reading and I learn a lot from books. I believe that books are packets of wisdom. Every new month, I post a list of the books I read in the previous month and the books I have bought or borrowed to read in the next month or sometime in the future. I hope that I would be able to inspire you to read some of these books and share some good books that you have read with me. At the same time, I hope that this habit would inspire me to read more :).

Completed in August

Here are the books I completed in August. This means that I finished reading the book or listened to it on Audible. It does not mean that I started reading or listening to it in August. I may have started earlier. If I finished the book, it means that I liked it and got a lot from it. I don’t read books just for the sake of it.

Currently Reading

These are books that I am currently reading or listening to on audible. Yes, I read more than one book at a time. When I need to learn more about a subject, I usually pause the book I am reading and I start the new book. There are some books I read on a schedule. Right now I am reading Church History on a schedule.

Hope to start reading

These are books that I have already purchased or borrowed and I look forward to reading.

Have you read any of these books? Do you know some good books that you think I should read? Please suggest them in the comment section below. I got some recommendations last month and I look forward to more. Thanks.

July Books – Packets of Wisdom!

I enjoy reading and I learn a lot from books. I believe that books are packets of wisdom. In the first week of every new month, I would post a list of the books I read in the previous month and the books I have bought or borrowed to read in the next month. I hope that I would be able to inspire you to read some of these books and share some good books that you have read with me. At the same time, I hope that this habit would inspire me to read more :).

Completed in July

Here are the books I completed in July. This means that I finished reading the book or listened to it on Audible. It does not mean that I started reading or listening to it in June. I may have started earlier.

Currently Reading

These are books that I am currently reading or listening to on audible. Yes, I read more than one book at a time.

Hope to start reading this Month

These are books that I have already purchased or borrowed and I look forward to reading.

Have you read any of these books? Do you know some good books that you think I should read? Please suggest them in the comment section below. I got some recommendations last month and I look forward to more. Thanks.

Are you fulfilled?

Today is Sunday!

Hundreds of millions of people would attend hundreds of thousands of gatherings all over the world today. They would celebrate the Lord Jesus and worship Him! We would give thanks to our Heavenly Father for loving us so much.

Some already worshiped on Friday and others on Saturday. Some think that if they don’t worship with their group on Sunday, their worship is not the same.

Some cannot even worship freely. While some have to meet on Mondays because that’s the safest day.

Some shout and dance! Some think that dancing is unholy. Others dare not make too much noise or else they would be imprisoned.

No matter how bad you have it, if you are reading this post, you have a lot of reasons to rejoice.

You and I also have an obligation to live fully and truly for Jesus. We must not allow the cares of this life stop us from baring fruit and being fulfilled.

“And others are the ones sown among thorns. They are those who hear the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.”Mark‬ ‭4:18-19‬ ‭ESV‬‬

My fellow disciple are you fulfilled?

Will Jesus call you a disciple?

What does it mean to be a disciple of Jesus? It means to obey the commands of Jesus and to be devoted to His goals, mission and vision.

Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. Matt 16:24.

For a disciple, her greatest joy is that the master is pleased. The disciple is fully committed and devoted to the cause of the master!

Why is it then that making disciples who make disciples is not our priority? Why would a disciple of Jesus be satisfied with themselves when they are not consistently engaged in disciple making?

Could it be because we have convinced ourselves that the little we are doing is the best that we can do? Even if we suppress the conviction of the Holy Spirit, the truth remains the same! We love something more than what Jesus called us to do.

Disciple making should be your lifestyle and mine too! I have devoted my life to making it easier for you! Will you take some time to learn and take action? Get into a group of disciple-makers? Will you devote more time to this than you devote to losing weight?

Will you ask questions and see disciples being made? Don’t wait another day! Start by taking the BiVo Minister Course. It’s self paced and I am sure you will become a more fruitful disciple as a result of this course.

Are you doing the work of a teacher?

Teachers are very precious to us in all works of life. And they are even more special in the body. Teachers are gifts to the body of Christ.

They make complex doctrines and scriptures simple and easier to obey! They help us see more clearly what God has done for us in Christ Jesus! Not everyone in the body is a teacher but we all can and should teach one or two people what we have learned!

“And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” II Timothy‬ ‭2:2‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Every disciple of Jesus Christ is expected to teach another disciple to obey every thing the Lord Jesus commands.

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭28:19-20‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Tomorrow I will complete this series on the gifts listed in Ephesians 4:11-12. The Apostles, Prophets, Evangelist, Pastors and Teacher are to equip us to do the work of ministry as well as edify us!

Are you teaching someone all that you are learning about obeying Jesus?

Are you enjoying the love of God as your Father?

It is one thing to be loved and another thing to accept and enjoy that love. God loves everyone completely and unconditionally but only those who accept this love, enjoy the benefits of His love.

Several years ago I went to help a new member of our church family move. He had this beautiful sound system that must have cost him a lot. When it was time to move the sound system he told me not to touch it because he wasn’t sure I would know how to handle it. So I sat down and watched him do it. That is when this truth became even more obvious to me.

What the man did not know is that although I was a pastor, I had a masters of Engineering and I had spent 6 months learning how to repair and maintain such systems. And that I have been taking care of such systems for many years since my training. So the man got my love and expertise but he did not enjoy the full benefit of it because he did not know or believe.

When you believed and you received Jesus as savior, you were accepted as a child of God and you can now enjoy all the benefits of being a child of God!

“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:” John‬ ‭1:12‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Everyday this season I am sharing about the benefits of being disciples of Jesus! This is why we want everyone on earth to enjoy the same benefits. I ask each benefit as a question. So that you can say! Yes!

Yes I am enjoying the love of God as my Father! What about you? Please share in the comments section below.

Do you have Everlasting Life?

This week I will share in a few paragraphs every day on the immense benefits of being in the kingdom of God! I will attempt to answer these questions. What are the benefits of being a disciple of Jesus? Why am I so grateful that I am accepted as a disciple of Jesus? Why is it that I and millions of other disciples are willing to leave everything that the world offers to follow Jesus? Why are we willing to go through pain and sacrifice of comfort and sometimes our lives just to share this good news with other? I will ask if you have these benefits to remind you to say I have [the benefit]!

The first one is everlasting life, eternal life! Or divine life!

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John‬ ‭3:16‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

You receive forgiveness for sins committed and you also receive the life of God that enables you to stop sinning. That is what everlasting life means!

God the righteous Judge, has made a way for us not to pay for the sins we committed and has made a way for us to have a new life! His righteous type of life. Jesus pays for our sins.

This would not sound like good news to a person who thinks that he is not that bad. But for those who know that a righteous Judge cannot overlook sin, then it’s the best news you can ever get.

If you have sinned then you are doomed unless you accept the finished work of Jesus! I’m so glad I have been forgiven! I have everlasting life! I’m no more a condemned criminal under God’s righteous judgement! The righteous Judge has made a way for me to go free and to live with His righteous life so that I can live like Him!

“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans‬ ‭5:8‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Hallelujah!

How is your ministry?

Every disciple of Jesus is a minister and has a ministry! You and I would have to give a report about our ministry to the Lord (Rom 14:12). The parable of the talents in Matt 25:14-30 also shows us that there is no idle person in the kingdom. So my dear friend, how is your ministry?

Are disciples being made? Are disciples being baptized, are they being thought to obey the commands of Jesus? Are they living victoriously? Are you shining as light and attracting people to Jesus?

You are called to be a disciple maker! As a disciple you are a BiVo Minister!

How is your ministry?

One thing you lack!

What is that one thing that would change your life if it can be changed right now? Or who is that one person that you know can make a big difference in your life? What is the one thing they would do or change?

I cannot count how many times I have gotten just one more thought or idea that totally changes the result of a project I am working on.

If you need a combination of 6 letters as a password to your bank account or any other account, and you have 5 of the letters right, but just one letter is wrong you will not have access.

This rich young ruler got everything else right except one. Yet he was unable to enjoy the kingdom of God!

“Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.” Mark‬ ‭10:21‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

As long as money, fame, reputation, academic achievements and other goals on earth have a higher value in your heart than, preaching around with Jesus, you still lack that one thing.

If you are not willing to let go of everything to serve Jesus in whatever capacity He chooses then you lack the same thing this your ruler lacked!

If you do not think that the most glorious position to be on earth is to be doing whatever Jesus Christ would have you do to fulfill the great commission, then you lack that one thing.

Heaven will not be heaven to those who do not see that nothing on earth is worth holding on to when compared with living in obedience to the Holy Spirit.

We are sent to make disciples for Jesus! Every disciple must be willing to give up every thing to invest in saving the lost and being in constant communion and obedience to Jesus!

It is not a task for you and I to do. The Holy Spirit will work through us.

What you and I must do is this! Make sure that we repent and get back on track whenever we value anything more than simple obedience to Jesus!

The young rich man walked away because he undervalued Jesus and overvalued his stuff. His stuff which can become of no value to him if he becomes very sick or dies in the next hour!

Oh Lord may I never underestimate the value of following you to love the lost!

Give me a drink

Would you think that this statement would lead to the transformation of a whole village? Isn’t it interesting to know that the life changing encounter of someone may be tied to a simple question? Or request?

“A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.”
‭‭John‬ ‭4:7‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Jesus did not start every conversation with a scripture. We don’t have to preach to everyone we meet. In fact, we can learn from Jesus that we can begin a relationship by receiving help from someone!

We must however be ready to share the good news with anyone that is ready!

How then do you know when to share or not? Here is how! You live for Jesus fully and with great joy and gratitude! You talk about Him like you would talk about a loved one. Then you give more details to those who show interest.

This is how you find out those who are ready to learn more! If you mention Jesus in your conversation and the person you are sharing with remains engaged, you can then ask if they would like to know more. If they say yes, then tell them some more. If however the person tries to change the topic or looks uncomfortable, let it go and continue to build the connection! They can be loved whether they believe in Jesus or not.

They may become interested tomorrow, next week or in a few years.

I remember a man we met on one of our outreaches in Kuje! We started the discussion by talking about business and it led to praying with him. I also remember a neighbor who had two big dogs in our neighborhood in Kingston. We started our conversation with discussion about the dogs and we transitioned into faith discussions. She did not become a disciple of Jesus at the time but some good seeds were sown.

There are many people out there all around our cities who have been prepared by the Holy Spirit. I pray that you and I would find someone today whom we can ask a question and it would lead to their encounter with Jesus! We find them by looking out for them!

“And many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, “He told me all that I ever did.”
‭‭John‬ ‭4:39‬ ‭NKJV‬‬